Friday, July 2, 2010

Green eggs and ham

Okay, no, not really. Here at The Airy Way there are no eggs, green or otherwise, and certainly no ham. But to quote that immortal work of the great Dr. Seuss:

I do not like them in a box.I do not like them with a fox.I do not like them in a house.I do not like them with a mouse.I do not like them here or there.I do not like them anywhere.I do not like green eggs and ham.I do not like them, Sam-I-am.

What's this? Something I found on the Internet under the dignified name of Spicy breakfast casserole with Andouille sausage, but which is more vulgarly known as "Christmas morning wifesaver." Can you even conceive of a more offensive, irritating name for a dish? The name just makes me shiver with revulsion. No wonder I've never condescended to try it.

But, today I needed to use some stuff up. I was meaning to make something totally different for supper tonight, but because of my non-existent labeling skills, the seitan sausage I picked out of the freezer and thawed was spicy instead of plain chicken seitan, and the hamburger buns I made for Canada Day didn't really prosper through the night, so I was forced…

"Not on a boat, not in a tree…"

At a family brunch last weekend, my mom made me vegan burritos (isn't she nice?), but everyone else had XMWS, and I had to admit, maybe she did something different to it this time but it actually looked…not so bad…

I'm giving the full recipe (veganized) in case you wish to inflict it upon your own family, but I made a tiny proportion of it, distrustful as I was, in a little dish most fetchingly marketed as a "minikin". And, yes, I bought all the kinds there were, round one, square one, just because of that adorable name, so I could tell everyone that I was serving this dish or that in my minikin. It's just too cute! Plus I cooked it in my toaster oven, with a sheet of aluminum foil over the top.

Heat oven to 350°. Butter a 2-quart baking dish (or a quarter of this recipe will fit into a minikin).

In a large skillet, cook sliced sausage with the onion and bell pepper until vegetables are translucent. Whisk omelet mix with milk in a bowl with the Creole seasoning, pepper, and parsley, if using; set aside.

Arrange torn bread over the bottom of the buttered baking dish. Sprinkle with the sausage mixture and the diced tomatoes.

Top with vegan cheese then pour the omelet mixture evenly over the top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until puffy and lightly browned.

So how was it, after all the hype? Well, it was kind of like migas, only not as good, in my opinion...though it has potential. Next time I'll try adding salsa and cilantro and lots of hot pepper and topping it with chopped avocado and I may change my mind.

Wifesaver....yes, offensive. Well, this sure *looks* good, even if it wasn't as good as you hoped. Your food always looks oustanding, and I bet it always is good, but you are also an amazing photographer. But what does "XMWS" mean?